The Outskirts of Phnom Penh

I was given the opportunity to see the outskirts of the city. Marcel owns a dirt bike and often goes off on little adventures around the country, so, he invited me along.

Our first visit was in the North East in what we would call, urban sprawl. Most slums are located on city limits and here is no different. Once can witness the urban development push out people from their wooden shack homes. Similar to how city development can intimidate or force farmers to move. The key frustrating difference is that farmers back home are compensated or paid off but, since the people here don't actually own the land, they just get pushed at their own expense. As for the government, they also build buildings for congress or whatever their agenda requires.

Our second visit was in the North West. History shows that settlements start on routes of transportation for trade. We traveled in and around the railway tracks where hundreds of small, one room, wooden shacks house anywhere from five to ten people. Along the tracks one can witness the continuous row of connected shacks - like a strip mall with only a wall to separate one establishment from the next. It was an interesting experience to see the life of these beautiful people, the children always giggled as we passed and I could not help but smile and wave back.
The comparison I could offer to people back home is if one could imagine 75% of their cities population homeless. What kind of condition would the city be? Where would you fit? The railway track area offers the sight of not only some of the poorest people in Phnom Penh, but also the richest. As I described the wooden shacks, now imagine it next to an 8 foot wall painted a golden yellow. Inside these walls exists a life even a poor Khmer may not be able to imagine. A three thousand square foot home and delicate landscaping in the yard. In is a contrast from one extreme to another in a blink of an eye. This is the kind of place a traveler does not enter after 8pm. The poor know what money looks like and they understand what that means as far as a lifestyle goes.